In ongoing accelerated fungal cellar testing, all partial barriers have failed to prevent moisture ingress into the poles, with moisture content of the wood at ground-line exceeding the 25% threshold at which decay can begin.
At the start of testing, all the poles had a moisture content ranging from 12–14%. At the initial inspection, Polesaver’s dual-layer barrier sleeve was the only product with no increase in moisture level, demonstrating a greater degree of protection than partial barriers and preservative treatment alone.
Test method used is based on AWPA E14-22 Standard: Laboratory method for rapidly evaluating the decay resistance of wood-based materials in ground contact: soil bed test.
- 5 samples for each product were added to the test chamber.
- All samples were cut from the same treated length of timber for comparability.
- All samples, including controls, were preservative treated to BS8417-2022 specification with ACQ.